Community & Alumni Blog
Bridge-builder profile: Steve & Stephanie Penner
Although Canadian Mennonite University’s plans to build a bridge spanning Grant Avenue go back to the early 2000s when Steve and Stephanie Penner were students, they remember the proposed bridge being little more than a laughing matter.
“We used to joke with our friends that the bridge would be built maybe by the time our children were students at CMU,” Stephanie recalls.
The Penners had these jokes in mind when they decided to purchase a tile as part of CMU’s Come Together: Be a Bridge Builder Campaign in support of the university’s new Library, Learning Commons, and Bridge, which is currently under construction.
“We have a son now, and maybe he’ll go to CMU in the future,” Stephanie says of the couple’s son, Teddy, who was born in 2012.
“It’s nice to see the dream that was thought up years ago actually coming to fruition. It’s important now that we give back and help to realize that vision.”
Stephanie and Steve both graduated in 2004 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology. Steve went on to Red River College, graduating with a diploma in municipal engineering technology. Today, he works as a project manager for the Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation department.
Steve says having a degree in Psychology helps him do his job well.
“A degree in Psychology is an excellent backer to anything,” he says. “It helps you understand relationships better, cognitive skills, memory skills, critical thinking, research skills—these are all things I developed at CMU.”
Stephanie currently works at CMU as the assistant registrar. Through her work at the university, as well as her experience teaching English in Korea for a year, she has developed a passion for higher education. As a result, she is currently pursuing a Master of Education degree at the University of Manitoba.
Asked why they support CMU financially, the Penners say it’s because they have been blessed with good jobs and feel it’s important to give away part of their resources.
Stephanie adds that during their time at CMU, both she and Steve benefitted from the giving of others through things like scholarships.
“Now that we are the others, it’s our turn to give back,” she says.
It’s also important to “put your money where your mouth is,” Stephanie adds. The couple believes that CMU is important, and as a result, they believe supporting the university financially is important.
“We valued our time at CMU and we value the work it's doing, and we want to see it succeed, [so] we want to give,” Stephanie says. “We can't just sit back and let others give. We kind of have to make an effort to give too.”
“We're by no means large givers,” she adds. “But I do feel it’s important to give whether it's a little or a lot. We all need to play a part.”
You can make a difference in the life of CMU for less than $14 a month. Find out how you can become a Bridge Builder and support CMU's new Library, Learning Commons and Bridge by going here and clicking on "Alumni: Buy a Tile."
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